‘Glee’ Bids Farewell to Finn in ‘The Quarterback’: TV Recap

We finally get to the long awaited episode where “Glee” deals with actor Cory Monteith‘s real life death, as well as the passing of his fictional character Finn Hudson. It’s a hard topic to cover, especially for a show with such a young audience. In real life, the 31-year-old actor died of heroin and alcohol toxicity on July 13. The previous two episodes showcased tunes from the Beatles, and the classic songs help lay some of the emotional groundwork for the tragedy in this special show.

The line from “Yesterday,” “Why he had to go I don’t know he would not say,” seems especially poignant and sets us up for tonight.

“The Quarterback” opens to cast members wearing black and singing “Seasons of Love” from the musical “Rent“–another show haunted by tragedy (the musical’s creator Jonathan Larson died before the production had its off-Broadway premiere). A large image of Finn is framed in the background, wearing his football jersey. The cast looks somber and very young. They are back together to honor Finn, though the show doesn’t plunge into the details of how and why he died. The story is about looking at who he was not why is no longer is.

Kurt Hummel stands in his room, face pensive and drawn. “People keep asking me what I am feeling and what do I know? They ask about how he died, and I know how he lived. He was my brother.”

Burt and Carole, Finn’s stepfather and mother, tear up as they sit in Finn’s room. Grief is expressed in different ways, from packing up Finn’s jerseys to talking. There’s a feeling of numbness and confusion that permeates the scene. Kurt wraps himself in Finn’s jersey.

“You don’t get to keep waking up. You get to keep on being a parent even if you don’t have a child” sobs Carole. The tears are raw. It’s clear that the cast is suffering, and this is a story where it’s hard to separate the reality from the fiction.

The Glee club gathers to try and deal with Finn’s death in the way they deal with everything; song.

Santana sings “If I Die Young” (The Band Perry) tearfully and angrily, and Kurt tries to comfort her, covering her with Finn’s jacket.

Mr Shue is trying to deal with Finn’s death by taking care of the Glee club, but he’s cracking apart with the strain.

Rachel puts in an appearance. Dressed in white she looks angelic. She sings Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love” (covered by Adele and others), her eyes tearing up as the words leave her lips.

Santana talks to Will. She look mature in a sleek shirt and skirt set. “I used to love coming here,” she says. The school is different now, and life has changed. Finn’s jacket is nowhere to be found, and she starts searching for it.

“I had it all planned out,” sobs Rachel to Will as they talk in a classroom. “He was my person.”

This is painful to watch–the real relationship between the actors behind Rachel (Lea Michele) and Finn (Monteith) is well known.

“I didn’t know if I would be able to sing again, and now I know I can.” Rachel’s smile is small and heartbreaking.

Will sits alone in his home looking solemn. He started the Glee club, he watched it grow and now one member has passed. He pulls Finn’s jersey – the missing one- out of his bag and slowly cries into it.

The screen darkens and we see a tribute to Cory Monteith.

What did you think of the episode? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

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